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Thursday, August 14, 2014

Hi everyone :) So today's post is going to be a bit different than usual. If you are only interested in the nail art, just skip down to where it says NAIL ART. Otherwise, keep reading.

I know there are some who will criticize me for mentioning this and that's completely fine. I understand and respect that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but here I go. I have been debating with myself about whether or not I should do this post, whether or not it was appropriate for a nail art blog, and how it will be received. But I've decided that it's been an emotional week and maybe somewhere out there, this post will reach the right person.

Around 8PM on August 11th, I received a text from a friend, "Robin William's killed himself". I stood and read the message over and over again but somehow couldn't understand it. I search the web and found report after report confirming the news, but I wouldn't believe it. I went to bed hoping I would wake up the next morning and find it was some giant hoax. Perhaps Robin had started some cruel rumor just to see how his fans would react. Then he wouldn't be dead, he would just be an asshole. But at least, he would be alive. But I woke up the next morning and saw the news all over my Facebook feed. When I rode the train, his face was plastered on the cover of every newspaper. When I went to the gym, every TV screen held images of his face.

He was both gone and everywhere.

For some reason, this death seems to be affecting us more so than previous Hollywood losses. Through the losses I have seen, I have never seen so many people grieve so hard for one man, someone we all hardly knew. And yet, the sadness we feel is equivalent to losing a friend. He was our Mork, our Mrs. Doubtfire, our genie, our Peter Pan. For many of us, he was a quick escape from reality, a bit of laughter in our day, and message saying, "You're quirky, a bit different, but that's okay."

So why am I bringing this up, on a nail blog, no less? Because what's at the heart of our sadness is not just that he died, but that someone who made us laugh and smile took his own life. He struggled with depression for years and fought until he could not fight anymore. Though the common misconception is that depression is just a feeling, the blues, a phase, or something you "get over" after a while, telling someone who is depressed, "You're strong, you'll get over it" is like telling someone with an amputated limb, "Don't worry, it will heal." The truth about depression is this:

“Please, people, do not fuck with depression. It’s merciless. All it wants is to get you in a room alone and kill you. If you are feeling depressed reach out, scream out, make sure someone takes hold of you and helps until you are well enough to help yourself.”

So this is my message to you: reach out. If you know someone who seems down, don't be afraid to reach out to them and offer your support.It may be nothing, but it could be everything. It may feel awkward or strange or too personal, but simply showing concern may have the power to save someone's life. The biggest smile can hide the deepest wound. Never be afraid to reach out because you never know what someone is dealing with.

And to those of you who are struggling, please, I am asking you to not be afraid to reach out as well. Never be afraid to ask for help or support because you would be surprised how much people are willing to give. Every loss makes this world a little less bright. You are loved and worth it and needed so please reach out.

"The demons won in their battle for Robin Williams’ soul. They don’t have to. The best way to honor him is to help someone fighting the same battle or asking for help if you’re the one fighting. You’re not alone. Don’t let the demons win."

What happened with Robin William's this week has upset many people and taken center stage. However, let us not get so lost in our grief that we overlook the events that are going on around us. In Missouri, an unarmed teenage named Michael Brown was killed by police, inciting riots and violence. In response, police have responded aggressively, turning the town into a war zone. Further, those of us who watch the news know that the Palestine - Israeli
conflict has escalated over the past few weeks. Every day, heartache
grows as countless lives are lost on both sides in what seems like a never ending
battle.

This is not a political blog and never will be. I am not giving my
opinion or asking anyone to take sides of any kind. I am simply asking
you to stay aware and be informed. These events deserve our attention as
much as Hollywood, if not more so.

NAIL ART
All in all, it's been a very difficult week. That being said, I thought
we could all use a bit of sparkle. This is a mani I did a few weeks ago
using Nabi Silver, from their holo collection. Although the color is labeled as silver, in doors, it
appears to be more of a beige/while holo. I'm a huge fan of white
holo's and am always looking for one, so I thought this was a bonus!
However, if you are looking for a true silver holo, I would NOT purchase
this color. As with all the Nabi's I have talked about on this blog,
the formula was perfect. Two coats gave me complete coverage.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

So I am once again playing the game, lets go through my drafts and dig out some old mani's. As a blogger, I try to have a few posts ready in advance so I am not always scrambling to do my nails and post in one day. The advantage to this is of course, more organization and less stress. The disadvantage however is that some posts, much like this one, get lost in the ether. Although I can't remember when I did this one, I do know it's super old. Like maybe around November, old. And looking at it now, I think I may have taken so long to post it because, after I finished it, I wasn't super impressed.

So looking at this mani, I realize it is not The Yellow Horror. Zoya Neely is an absolutely gorgeous pale mint green and makes a good base for nail art. I also like how my double stamping affect came out and the bit of sparkle I added. However, this mani does irk me a little bit. It sort of makes me think that my nails are going to prom. What do you think of this design?

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Hey everyone! So today's post is a super special post for me because I am doing my very first nail polish review! Squee!!! (that's my happy sound, for those of you who are wondering lol).

So recently, I was introduced to a very cool indie nail polish brand called Firecracker Lacquer (5 free). Today, I have two polishes to show you from their latest line, The Captivating Creature Collection, which will be released on August 8th. Be sure to read through to the bottom of the post for a special offer!

First up is Flamingo Fanfare which is a stunning watermelon pink polish. Though it is listed as a linear holographic polish, I found that in natural light, it has more of a soft scattered holo effect. I think the type of holo effect you see may depend on the lighting you are in. Shown below is two coats (with no topcoat) which gave me a very close to opaque finish. This polish dries semi matte so to really show off the holo, I recommend adding a topcoat. The formula on this was absolutely perfect. It wasn't too thin or thick and went on smoothly.

In full sunlight, you can see the holo effect a bit more.

Next up is Canary Cavalcade. Don't you love that name? What's funny about this, is that I am normally not a fan of yellow polishes because they are too extreme. They are either too soft or too mustard-y. However, I love this color and have never met a more perfect yellow. It's not too in your face or too pale. Rather, this polish is a lovely shade, probably best described as butter cup yellow. This polish is also listed as holographic, but I found that the effect was a bit more difficult to see than with Flamingo Fanfare. This is three coats without a topcoat. I found that after two coats, there was still a bit of streakiness so I added a third for good measure (But I think streakiness is a problem with most yellow polishes). As with Flamingo Fanfare, the formula was perfect and easy to apply. I look forward to snatching up the rest of the colors from this collection!

And in addition to this collection, Firecracker Lacquer will also be adding rhinestones and nail studs to their shop! These were super fun to play with and with a bit of nail polish, easy to apply. The studs available with this launch are circles, squares, triangles, stars, and hearts in neon and triangles in silver. Rhinestones are available in bright colors, and iridescent finish.

Be sure to check out the other color's from the Captivating Creature Collection:

- Macaw March
- Shark Show
- Parrot Procession
- Penguin Parade.

The Captivating Creature Collection will go live at 10am MST on August 8th. The polishes will be 9$ each and each bag of nail studs/rhinestones will be 1$.

But wait! There's more! From August 8th through August 26th, a free limited edition polish will be included with any order $25 or higher. Rumor has it that if you love glitter, you will love the limited edition polish! Be sure to mark your calendar and follow Firecracker Lacquer on facebook for more information!

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Just a quick post for you guys today. It's my birthday (Woooooo!) and the festivities are beginning soon. But before I go, I thought I would show off this mani I did a few weeks ago.

Now if you have been following my blog up to this point, you know there are several things I am good at/enjoy doing. I LOVE stamping, I'm pretty good at gradients and I feel like I can brag about my water marbling. But alas, even Superman has his kryptonite.

Free hand painting. Although I love hand painted nail art, I find that sometimes it can be difficult to do. It requires specific brushes, extreme precision for detailing, and a lot of patience. And lets not forget creativity!

So yes, it is my weakness. But as you can see here, here, and here, I have been practicing. And here is my latest free hand effort.

I was actually quite pleased with how this one came out which definitely inspired me to try some more freehand techniques. Practice makes perfect, right?